New York attorney general Letitia James (D.) slowly enunciated New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s name in an attempt to educate those who always “get it wrong”—and mispronounced it herself while doing so.
James spoke alongside Mamdani at a Tuesday rally in the Bronx. She touted her endorsement of the socialist assemblyman before taking aim at people who mispronounce his name.
“His name is Zohran Mandani [sic],” James said slowly, switching the second “m” to an “n.”
“You’ve got to say it with all the syllables for those who still get it wrong,” James continued as Mamdani laughed beside her.
Mamdani has complained of similar mispronunciations in the past. During a mayoral primary debate in June, he went as far as to spell out his last name after rival candidate Andrew Cuomo, like James, referred to him as “Mandani.”
“The name is Mamdani. M-A-M-D-A-N-I,” he said. “You should learn how to say it because we gotta get it right.”
“It’s troubling to see a candidate for this same position be unable or unwilling to say my name correctly. It’s not that difficult,” Mamdani added after the debate.
Two weeks later, New York governor Kathy Hochul (D.) made a similar mispronunciation during an event at LaGuardia Airport.
“As an assemblymember, Mr. Mandami [sic] knows that the state legislature and the governor have enormous say over decisions like that,” Hochul said.
James originally endorsed New York City Council speaker Adrienne Adams for mayor before throwing her support behind Mamdani shortly before the June 24 primary election day. Other top New York Democrats like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have praised Mamdani without formally endorsing him.
Read the full article here
